Sister of disabled woman who starved to death testifies at inquest

A coroner's inquest has begun into the 2018 starvation death of a B.C. woman at the hands of her care provider. Florence Girard, who was born with Down syndrome, was 54 years old when she died while living in the home of Astrid Dahl. Dahl was convicted of failing to provide Girard the necessaries of life. The CBC's Karin Larsen covered the start of the inquest.

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The BC Home Share Review: When “Default” Housing Becomes a System Under Strain

The BC Home Share Review: When “Default” Housing Becomes a System Under Strain In November 2025, the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction in British Columbia released an external review of the Community Living BC (CLBC) Home Share program. Conducted by Tamar Consultancy with Professor Tim Stainton and colleagues, the review was triggered by the coroner’s inquest into the death of Florence Girard and asked a blunt question: are current safeguards and standards enough to keep people safe and support a good life in Home Share? A unique and overloaded model Home Share in BC is unusual by international standards. Institutions have been closed for some time, and Home Share has become the province’s largest community living option — a situation the review notes “doesn’t exist in any other jurisdiction.” About 4,300 people are funded to live in Home Share, with hundreds more on waitlists and more than 19,000 adults outside any funded residential support, signalling deep, ...

Disability Rights in Nova Scotia: How They’re Protected and Enforced

DRC case (Nova Scotia) — in brief · 2014 complaint: The Disability Rights Coalition (DRC) and three individuals alleged systemic discrimination against persons with disabilities (lack of community supports, unnecessary institutionalization, years-long waitlists). · Appeal ruling (Oct 6, 2021): The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal found systemic discrimination and sent remedies back to the Board of Inquiry. Decision (PDF). · Remedy (June 2023): The BOI approved an Interim Consent Order—a binding five-year plan to Mar 31, 2028 with independent monitoring, data disclosure, and BOI enforcement (up to further orders). Overview. ↗ Open in New Tab Progress and Monitoring Reports. ↗ Open in New Tab Bottom line · Nova Scotia uses an administrative/quasi-judicial track: Commission → investigation/mediation → BOI → (possible) court appeal. · Systemic violations can lead to structural remedies (action plan, oversight, policy change), not just individual payouts.

Alberta’s Disability Services Face ‘All-Out War,’ AUPE Warns

AUPE (Alberta Union of Provincial Employees) says the province is waging an “all-out war” on the disability community and held info-pickets (incl. in Red Deer) to spotlight a staffing crisis in disability services. Reported pressure points are the FSCD (Family Support for Children with Disabilities) and PDD (Program for Persons with Developmental Disabilities) programs: long waitlists for assessments and heavy caseloads for caseworkers. AUPE links hiring freezes and planned cuts to worsening access for families and adults with disabilities. The union urges the government to reverse staff reductions, lift the hiring freeze, and add resources to reduce queues and stabilize services. https://reddeeradvocate.com/2025/01/28/province-executing-all-out-war-on-disability-community-say-aupe

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